


Regina Mills: Queen of the World

by cryptidonthemoor



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Espionage, F/F, Lesbian Character, Minor Original Character(s), Undercover, swanqueen - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2020-05-14 20:58:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19281058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptidonthemoor/pseuds/cryptidonthemoor
Summary: Emma Swan, a princess in the Enchanted Forest, goes undercover as Princess Regina Mills' handmaid to discover whether she is fit to take the throne following her mothers death. Her mother, Cora Mills, was the previous Queen of the World, and after dying from an unexplained illness, Regina is next in line. Will she claim the throne? Or will she be forced to abdicate?





	Regina Mills: Queen of the World

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Draco Malfoy: King of the World](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13955100) by [cryptidonthemoor](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cryptidonthemoor/pseuds/cryptidonthemoor). 



> Storyline/Plot Idea taken from Draco Malfoy: King of the World, another one of my fanfics that I decided to rewrite as Swanqueen.

 

With a set jaw and a steely glare, the young heiress looks over her mother’s casket. She casts a small glance towards her father and takes his hand. Staring at the cold dead body in front of her, she feels nothing but hatred, while Henry softly sniffles. She’d experienced nothing but abusive attempts of control from her mother, but while her contempt is rooted in her body, she still finds it hard to not sympathize for her father.

Regina gives his hand a soft squeeze and turns away from the coffin. Slowly, in a respectful manner, Regina slips from the room overcrowded with princesses and kings pretending to mourn the loss of Cora Mills. 

As she slides out the doorway, a figure about two inches taller than her slams against her chest.

“Oh jesus, sorry, I’m sorry-” the girl says, rubbing her eyes and backing away. When she opens them she seems to falter, her eyes growing wider. She bows awkwardly in a half-curtsy. “Princess Regina, I apologize for running into you…”

“There’s no apology needed, Swan. I should’ve watched where I was walking.” Regina attempts a polite smile, but even she can tell it looks forced. Emma ignores it and nods in return, holding the door open for the Princess. “Thank you.” As the soon-to-be Queen steps down the hall, Emma stares after her in awe.

 

* * *

 

 

I’m aware that there’s no officially set time to arrive at a funeral, but God, do I feel late. All of the other royal families will already be there, I’m sure of it. I quickly make my way down the marble-floored halls, barely taking in the magnificence of the space around me.

As I approach the door to the room with the slab of meat and attempt to enter, it swings open and I find a shorter woman slammed against me. My legs stumble back and I reach up to rub my eyes.

“Oh jesus, sorry, I’m sorry-” I sputter out, before opening my eyes and receiving a shock. Princess Regina, soon to take her mother’s crown as Queen of the World, stands in front of me. With her chin held high and her eyes squinting at me, I flush and attempt to curtsy. Her lips part in amusement and her face softens slightly at my, frankly embarrassing, motion. “Princess Regina, I apologize for running into you…” 

“There’s no apology need, Swan,” my heart thumps at the sound of my name, “I should’ve watched where I was walking.” I notice her attempt at a polite smile, and her obvious discomfort, so I move out of her way and hold the door open for her. “Thank you.” The subtle kindness imparted through our conversation leaves me somewhat surprised. Her reputation has been reported as nothing but coldness and pomp. I shake my head, reminding myself of my parents waiting for me, and step inside the room.

From across the floor, I spot my mother waving at me. I disregard the coffin and try to make my way over to her as gracefully as possible. 

“Emma!” She says excitedly and pulls me into a hug.

“Mom, calm down, this is supposed to be a funeral.” 

“Right, sorry.” My dad comes from behind her and places a hand on her back.  
“Hey, kid.” I grin at him and give him an entirely unroyal fist bump. I see my mother roll her eyes. “How’s it going?”

“Fine. I’ve got a meeting with the Kings Board in awhile so I’m a bit anxious.”

“What does the board want with you, honey?” My mother asks concernedly. I shrug.

“Beats me.”

 

The funeral procession comes and goes quickly, and I return to my castle alongside my parents. I skip up to my room, quickly change in an outfit more casual, and steal a snack from the stash in my closet. 

The side door to the castle squeaks as I move through it, yelling goodbye to my parents loudly. I hop into the carriage awaiting my arrival, and it whisks me away to the Kings Board Hall.

The gravel road roars beneath me as I turn to my thoughts. I wonder why the Princess seemed to flee her mother’s funeral. She was only present for a few minutes of the service procession as well. It seems awfully disrespectful, although I suppose we all grieve in our own ways. 

It’s curious to think that soon we’ll have a new Queen. A new generation. But that’s the natural order. One dies and you move onto the next. 

Many citizens and royal families are hoping that Princess Regina will be better than her mother. Their entire family rule has been nothing but cold, conniving tyrants. Centuries of trash-bags sitting on the throne. But Regina is taking the crown much younger than her predecessors had and the people hope that new young blood will revive the union nations.

The carriages hobbles to a stop beside the grand hall, and I stumble out. The unnaturally large door opens to the building and a man in a crisp suits steps out, his eyes squinting at me in disinterest. He waves a hand and I follow him into the hall.

A well-manicured hand straightens out the edges of his jacket, as his other hand swings open a door and ushers me inside.

“Ah, Princess Emma. Welcome.” A tall man rises from a large decorated chair seated in front of a table of five. The Kings’ Board. He gestures toward a small seat placed ominously in front of them. 

I hesitantly sit myself down in the chair, uncomfortably shifting. The grand-looking man seats himself and I glance at the other four. A scrawny woman on the far left, a dwarf to her right, a well-built man on the far right, and a very attractive woman to his left. This whole situation is beginning to feel quite daunting.

“Emma,” the middle-man brings my attention back to him. “I am Edmund of the Kings’ Board. These are my trusted associates, and we have a task to ask of you. Leisl, if you will.” Edmund gestures towards the attractive woman, Leisl, to his right. 

“I assume you have questions,” I nod at her, “But first you must promise that anything said in this room, whether you choose to accept this task or not, will be kept a secret.”

“Yes, I promise,” I attempt to respond with confidence. She gives me a small grin (and it’s so attractive oh my god), and hands me a file which I reach for. I flip it open to see a picture of the to-be queen. “So… what exactly is this about then?” Leisl clears her throat.

“We need you to go undercover as Princess Regina’s handmaid.” My feet move faster than my brain as I stand.

“You want me to WHAT?” She stares at me pointedly. She tells me to sit down. I do.

“We need you to report to us, so we can decide whether she is fit to be queen.” I bite down on my lip and remain silent for a moment. “If she isn’t, the throne will go to the next in line.” 

“Why me?” Leisl glances at Edmund.

“We’ve been… observing you. For quite some time. Since the queen fell ill. We believe you know how to be discreet, and you seem charming enough to be able to get the Princess to open up to you easier than some of our less  _ temperate _ candidates.” I release a sigh and nod.

“Okay, I’ll do it.”


End file.
